COMMUNITY leaders are to meet with police chiefs in a bid to stamp out petty crime and vandalism in their village.

During the past few months young vandals have wreaked havoc on Tarporley with incidents ranging from graffiti to an arson attack at the community centre.

Members of the parish council have had enough of the escalating incidents and are calling for action from the police.

A letter was sent out to Vale Royal superintendent Chris Richards, but at the July meeting clerk Sharon Green reported she had received no response.

Police spokesman Ivor Lewis said: 'A letter was received but unfortunately it went to Congleton and then had to be rerouted to the inspector for the Tarporley section who was on rest day.

'Unfortunately its arrival was too late for the inspector to attend the meeting.

'We are aware of a number of incidents which have occurred in the area over the last few months and the inspector has already been in touch with the clerk to the council and arrangements are in place for a senior officer to attend the next meeting.'

Incidents in the village include street lamps being smashed, the slate roof of the bus shelter being damaged, theft of a charity box from the Co-op, graffiti and break-ins at several shops.

Young thugs have also thrown bricks through the windows of village shops, a phone box and even the window of Tarporley Fire Station, where they also ripped the emergency 999 telephone off the wall.

And earlier this month vandals targeted the community centre, which has become a popular hang-out for youths, setting fire to three recycling bins causing more than £2,500 damage.

Cllr Roy Craven, who is also the chairman of the community centre committee, said: 'They set fire to two bottle banks and the tin bank at the back of the community centre and also in the last month there have been three windows smashed there.

'The fire brigade had to come out in the middle of the night. The hedge behind caught fire and so did the gate.

'It was just lucky it didn't spread to the petrol station behind it. The petrol pumps are at the front, but with all the oil and stuff around it could have been a lot worse.

'The vandalism has got worse in the last 12 months and it is getting out of hand. It is not people travelling in from Liverpool or wherever, they ve got to be local people doing this sort of thing.'

A spokesman for Vale Royal said: 'Due to the council's ongoing support towards recycling we are endeavouring to replace the damaged road surface and recycling banks as soon as possible to enable Tarporley residents to continue recycling in the village.'